Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"June 7, 2002
Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"
June
7, 2002
By Chris Walz
Pentagram Staff Writer
WASHINGTON (Army News Service) -- Soldiers are beginning to see more clearly now, thanks to laser eye surgery offered at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
"I wouldn’t have been able to pass the Army physical because my eyesight had gotten so bad," said Col. Melissa Forsythe, who wore glasses and contact lenses for 20 years before undergoing the LASIK surgery last month. "I memorized the steps around my house in case I got up in the middle of the night. Now, I can see where I’m going."
Combat arms soldiers, or soldiers assigned to combat units, have top priority at the clinic. Next comes combat support, then combat service support. Other soldiers can get on a wait list for last-minute cancellations.
"We give priority to the soldiers who need their eyesight because they are getting shot at," said Lt. Cmdr. Brent Warren, a doctor who performs the surgery at Walter Reed. "We aren’t picking generals over privates."
The LASIK surgery is a delicate procedure, according to Warren. A sharp blade cuts the cornea, creating a flap. The flap is held open while a laser corrects the patient’s vision. Once the laser is finished, the flap is put back for the healing to begin. Warren said the operation takes less than 10 minutes per eye and is virtually painless.
"I try to let them know the critical times when it could be scary for a patient," said Warren. "Anytime you come at [a patient] to poke their eye, they’re going to be a little nervous."
"I don’t feel any pain or discomfort," said Col. Tim Glaeser, just minutes after his surgery May 24. "They need to upgrade to some comfortable designer sunglasses, though. They hurt more than the damn surgery."
Glaeser, a student at the National War College at Fort McNair, D.C., wanted to have the procedure done before being sent to Fort Bliss, Texas.
"I had a little anxiety when I laid down on the table," said Glaeser. "I didn’t have a fear of pain, I had a fear of the unknown."
More than 95 percent of people are between happy and ecstatic, 3 percent are satisfied and less than 2 percent are unhappy, Warren estimates.
"I was scared at first, like anyone would be, but now I love it. It’s probably the smartest thing I’ve ever done," said Pfc. Mark Zajonczkoski of the 3rd U.S. Infantry (Old Guard), who had the operation May 16. "I’ve worn contact lenses for 10 years and now I see 20/15 in both eyes."
The Refractive Surgery Center staff performs a thorough screening to insure each patient qualifies for the procedure, according to Dr. (Maj.) Herb Fechter. The facility uses high-tech, computer-assisted devices to measure the corneal thickness, curvature and refractive error. These measurements help the surgeons formulate the ideal treatment plan. The data is fed into the LadarVision laser and the patients are prepped for surgery.
"Somebody who is not nervous about another person cutting their eyes is unnatural," said Warren, who has performed over 120 LASIK procedures, including Glaeser’s surgery. "That means they’re too optimistic and may be disappointed. Somebody too gung-ho makes us a little nervous."
Forsythe, who wore glasses and contact lenses for 20 years before undergoing the LASIK surgery, admits she was apprehensive before the procedure.
"I asked the doctor, if he messes up, how much will I get for disability," joked Forsythe, the chief of surgical nursing at Walter Reed. "He said ‘not enough’ and that kind of took the edge off a little bit."
The facility also offers an alternative to the LASIK surgery, called Photo Refractive Keratectomy. The procedure uses a brush on the eye to correct the cornea, as opposed to cutting it.
Photo Refractive Keratectomy is an option for patients who need small vision corrections, but can cause eye discomfort a few days following surgery.
"I’ve worn glasses since the fourth grade and I hate them," said Pfc. Joseph Stalinski, whose first appointment for the LASIK screening process was scheduled for this week.
"There are consequences with everything, especially somebody cutting your eye open, but the risk is very small," he said.